The Best of 2024, According to the Beirut.com Team

Here’s a sneak peek at the top highlights of 2024, handpicked by the Beirut.com team. Wonderful dining experiences, must-visit gems, and unforgettable moments—we’ve rounded up the best of the best this year had to offer.

Culinary Delights

Best New Spot for Foodies: Em Sherif Deli in Minet El Hosn! This spot quickly became a favorite, transforming Lebanese traditions into delightful bites we’ve grown to love.

Best New Restaurant: Bobo Fou in Achrafieh. Offering a delightful selection of Mediterranean flavors, this bistro and bar is a must-visit.

Best New Cocktail Bar: Good Thing in Gemmayze, a vibrant new spot serving up perfectly concocted cocktails and mouthwatering bar snacks.

Best Worst Food Trend: We’re leaving the viral Dubai chocolate trend in 2024. We hope that we’ll have something new to fixate on next year, but please khalas with the Dubai chocolate.

Cultural Gems

Best Comeback: Beirut’s Metropolis Cinema finally made a comeback with a new cinema in Mar Mikhael! After four years of closure, the eighteen-year-old gem will continue its mission to support Lebanese cinema.

Even Cate Blanchett celebrated the reopening!

Best Milestone: Fairuz turned 90 this year, and we shared a tribute to the legendary singer here. A celebration of Lebanese culture and heritage, her unparalleled contribution to the world of music will forever be engrained in our hearts. 3a2bel l 100!

Best Fashion Moment: When Lebanese drag pioneer Anya Kneez rocked the iconic kuffiyeh dress for a magazine shoot. For those who don’t know, this Lebanese drag queen’s designs turned heads on RuPaul’s Drag Race!

Viral Moments

The Funniest Meme: This interview between an Al-Mayadeen correspondent and a Lebanese man changed our brain chemistry. And it’s probably the funniest meme we saw this year.

You can check out all the hilarious reactions to this iconic moment here.

Best Viral Moment: We thought long and hard about this one, but it’s a tie! Between Pamela El Kik’s bizarre videos and Samara El Hariri’s iconic SELUUUU comedy show. Thank you to these two queens for all the viral meme content they gave us this year.

Most Iconic Find: Hoda Ziade, the iconic teta who started her modeling career at 80. She discovered her love for modeling when her grandson, Eric Mathieu Ritter, asked her to pose for a shoot for his brand, Emergency Room. And the rest is history!

Most Satisfying Moment: Riad Salame getting arrested, and all the memes that followed. We’ll always be thankful that Lebanese Twitter is around to keep us entertained.

Most Heartwarming Moments

And of course, after a year of hardship, we want to highlight some of the year’s most heartwarming moments. Here they are:

Lebanese Barber Uplifts Displaced Families with Free Haircuts

Lebanese Florist Brings Color to Dahye with Vibrant Bouquets

Displaced Family Leaves Touching Note for Neighbors Before Returning Home

We witnessed Lebanese people come together to support each other during such a challenging year. Amidst the difficulties, countless stories of resilience and solidarity emerged, showcasing the unbreakable spirit of our community.

In 2025 (and the years to come), we’ll honor what was lost, cherish what remains, and celebrate what is to come. Happy New Year!